Central Europe

ERGNETI, 27 April 2023 – The 112th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in Ergneti today under the co-facilitation of the Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), Dimitrios Karabalis, and the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Viorel Moşanu. 

The EUMM and OSCE representatives commended the sustained commitment of the participants to the IPRM format. The co-facilitators welcomed the opening of two crossing points along the South Ossetian administrative boundary line (ABL) earlier in April for the Orthodox Easter festivities, allowing local communities on both sides of the ABL to celebrate the holiday. At the same time the co-facilitators reiterated their calls for the full re-opening of crossing points. Regular cross-ABL traffic would allow men and women affected by conflict to live more safely, and better secure their livelihoods through agricultural activities.

IPRM participants discussed challenges of conflict-affected communities, including freedom of movement, as well as recent security incidents.

Regarding the recent attempted detention incident near the village of Chvrinisi, the co-facilitators strongly emphasised that any use of violence is unacceptable and can lead to an unpredictable escalation of the conflict. They facilitated the exchange of information concerning the incident. The EUMM will continue to patrol in the area. The co-facilitators also re-emphasised the importance of the EUMM-managed Hotline to address security concerns and defuse tensions, to which the participants agreed. The situation in Chorchana-Tsnelisi was discussed extensively.

The EUMM and OSCE co-facilitators also voiced their concern about the practice of detention. They advocated for the release of the detainees, particularly those whose health is at stake.

Both co-facilitators welcomed today’s earlier engagement of experts during the technical meeting on irrigation – to better prepare for the upcoming agricultural season. The participants concurred to continue technical discussions on access to water and other environmental security issues.

The next IPRM is scheduled tentatively for 3 July 2023.

542328 Željka Šulc

As part of the OSCE project Addressing Security and Safety Risks of Illegal Possession, Misuse and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and their Ammunition in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE Mission to BiH donated 11 new vehicles for transport of K9 police dogs to law enforcement agencies across the country. This donation is valued at nearly EUR 350,000. Beneficiaries include the BiH Border Police, State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), Police of Brčko District BiH, Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior, Federal Police Administration, and the ministries of interior of Tuzla Canton, Una-Sana Canton, and Zenica-Doboj Canton.

“We all recognize the importance of K-9 police units for ensuring the security and safety of BiH and its citizens,” said Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “Our donation of 11 new K-9 transport vehicles will bolster this vital capacity of law enforcement to detect concealed weapons, ammunition and explosives, and prevent attacks.”

The OSCE Mission to BiH will continue to support authorities in mitigating the security and safety risks related to illegal possession and the misuse and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition.

The project Addressing Security and Safety Risks of Illegal Possession, Misuse and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and their Ammunition in Bosnia and Herzegovina is financed by: Austria, the Czech Republic, the European Union, Germany, France, Liechtenstein, Norway, Slovakia, Turkey and the United States.

542292 Željka Šulc

SARAJEVO, 27 April 2023 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission) supported the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) conferences of chief prosecutors and of court presidents, organized in Sarajevo on 26 and 27 April.

During these conferences, representatives of the BiH judiciary discussed the ongoing fight against corruption and organized crime, increasing judicial efficiency and transparency, and other challenges they face.

All jurisdictions in BiH struggle to deal properly and efficiently with these complex cases – cases that ultimately affect the stability, security and progress of BiH – most notably, but not in any way limited to, cases involving war crimes and corruption.

The Mission’s comprehensive trial and justice sector monitoring programmes highlight persistent concerns in the functioning of the criminal justice system. Some of the Mission’s most prominent concerns include the slow pace of criminal proceedings; inconsistent judicial practices, especially with respect to evidentiary matters, low conviction rates and lenient sentences, and a failure to support or compensate victims of crime.

“The Mission appreciates that key actors, including the HJPC, have endorsed many of its recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the justice sector but also notes that there has been little progress in implementing said recommendations,” said Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “In light of this, the BiH judicial system requires systematic reform targeting the accountability, quality and integrity of judicial institutions and office holders. Such measures include adopting the Justice Sector Reform Strategy as well as relevant legislation, such as the integrity amendments to the current Law on the HJPC and a wholly new Law on the HJPC.”

President of the HJPC, Halil Lagumdžija, said that he is convinced that together it can be ensured that country’s judiciary is ready, at any moment, to be responsive to all citizens’ needs, as a necessary step towards strengthening the rule of law and ensuring evident legal security for every citizen of the country. “The HJPC BiH is committed to providing you with support in your effort to ensure that any obstacles are removed and a system is established which is even more efficient and of even higher quality, ready to combat the most severe forms of corruption and organized crime, as well as all other forms of criminal offences, so that we can contribute in this manner to the rule of law being fully established in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

The OSCE Mission to BiH will continue to support judicial actors across BiH in their efforts to uphold the rule of law while protecting the fundamental human rights and dignity of all living in BiH.

542289 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Farhod Nabiyulloev

On 17 April 2023, the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe launched its first training course on Operational Planning for twenty border officers of the Tajik Border Troops in Dushanbe. The course is a key activity of the Patrol Field Capacity Building of the Tajik Border Troops - Phase II project which will run through 2023 and 2024.

During a three-week course, participants will be familiarized with the seven steps of the operational planning process. For each step, there is a period of classroom instruction introducing the concepts, followed by practical exercises where teams of students apply the concepts to a realistic planning scenario related to dealing with security and humanitarian issues on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border. The students will also learn about gender-sensitive border security operations, human rights and humanitarian law, and the Google Earth geospatial analysis software.

In his opening remarks, Jon Casey, Programme Officer of the Patrol Field Capacity Building project at the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe talked about the history of the OSCE’s partnership with Tajikistan’s Border Troops, and the range of capacity-building activities that will be covered by the project. Casey also underlined the significance of the new Operational Planning course in ensuring the Tajik Border Troops could effectively make use of the new skills that are being trained and equipment that is being fielded for units along the Tajik-Afghan border.   

The training will be delivered by two international instructors from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania with expertise in operational planning. They will be assisted by two instructors from the Tajik Border Troops. The course will continue until 5 May 2023.

The event is conducted in the framework of the OSCE’s project “Patrol Field Capacity Building of the Tajik Border Troops through Promotion of Regional Co-operation”, financed by the Republic of France and implemented by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe.

542265 Communication and Media Relations Section

The need to reflect on both the immediate and long-term consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine was highlighted by Ambassador Emilia Kraleva, Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the OSCE, at the Opening Session of the Bulgarian Chairpersonship of the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC).

“We are taking up this function in a turbulent European security environment. This aggression is sending shockwaves across regions and formats of cooperation, crushing already diminished trust and confidence, creating deep divisions and long-term consequences to the detriment of the European Security Architecture,” said Ambassador Kraleva.

The Bulgarian Chair emphasized that the mission of the FSC today involves uneasy reflection on these critical security issues. However, the delegations of the participating States could still use the Forum to explore avenues of diplomatic talks preserving its primary institutional function.

“We all are part of the FSC as an OSCE body and we all share the ownership. We will be counting on the cooperation of delegations and their commitment to its work,” said in closing the FSC Chair.

The tenure of Bulgaria as Chair of the FSC will include among other topics like humanitarian mine action, the need to pursue the Women, Peace and Security agenda, Security and Environment nexus as well as promoting the OSCE Code of Conduct on Politico-Military Aspects of Security. Bulgaria will also draw the attention to regional concerns like the state of security in the Black Sea Region, and the political-military and other implications that transcend the region.

The Chairmanship of the Forum for Security Co-operation rotates three times a year. It takes the lead in setting the agenda for each meeting of the Forum and brings attention to issues concerning the implementation of commitments adopted by the Forum.

542169 Željka Šulc

SARAJEVO, 26 April 2023 – The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) today launched a report on learning and teaching on the period of 1992-1995 in primary schools throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, “History Teaching Materials on 1992-1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Building Trust or Deepening Divides?”.

Written by an external researcher, Dr. Heike Karge, the report provides an overview of learning and teaching practices regarding the history of 1992-1995 in primary schools across BiH.

The report specifically examines history curricula, textbooks, and teaching materials with a focus on 1992-1995. This period remains one of the most controversial periods in BiH and the region.

“We hope that the Report will spark an interest among education authorities and the education community in co-operating more intensely on this important issue,” said Ambassador Brian Aggeler, Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH. “The aim is for education authorities to adopt approaches whereby critical thinking is encouraged, introducing multiperspectivity, and promoting greater mutual understanding. This would have a profound impact on youth – and ultimately a profound impact on society as a whole across the country.”

The report proposes recommendations for improving mutual understanding and trust between individuals and communities to create more durable reconciliation in BiH.

“In recent years teaching materials have improved in many important aspects. But, when it comes to the teaching of the recent war, our analysis concludes that these materials are ethnically biased and hinder reconciliation” said Dr. Heike Kerge. “Teaching about a recent war is an incredibly difficult and sensitive task in a postwar society. Now, nearly 30 years after the end of the war, it may be time to initiate a substantial change.”

This report is part of the wider efforts of the OSCE Mission to BiH to support authorities across BiH in creating inclusive and quality education without discrimination.

542067 Marina Živaljević

How police officers should conduct interviews with persons suspected of being trafficked was the focus of a two-day workshop organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry of Interior’s Department for Combating Human Trafficking on 24 and 25 April in Budva.

Around 25 participants from the border police, the criminal police group for combating juvenile delinquency and domestic violence, as well as centres for social work discussed how to conduct interviews with victims of human trafficking, using standardized set of questions to ensure their rights are respected. It was the first out of three workshops planned in this year.

Opening the event, Toni Škrinjar, Mission’s Organized Crime Police Adviser, said that through asking specific questions, police officers could identify trafficked victims. “It is also important to gather specific information that will identify perpetrators of crime and serve as evidence for successful prosecution. Patience and empathy are required when interviewing victims of trafficking to avoid further traumatizing them,” said Škrinjar.

Tijana Šuković, Head of the Department for Combating Human Trafficking, stated that from November 2019 to December 2022, 73 persons were identified as victims of human trafficking by the team for formal identification of victims of human trafficking. “The forms of exploitation to which these persons were exposed include labour and sexual exploitation, forced begging and illegal marriage,” said Šuković.

Development of the guidelines for interviewing human trafficking victims was preceded by two documents also developed with Mission’s support: the Guidelines on general principles regarding non-punishment provision for THB victims for judges, prosecutors and police officers in 2018, and the Strategy for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings 2019-2024 with 2019 Action Plan in 2019.

The Mission will continue to support Montenegrin institutions in combatting trafficking in human beings.

541965 Jeff Bieley Edita Buçaj

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo and the Information and Privacy Agency (IPA) concluded a series of five regional workshops for over 100 municipal officials from municipalities across Kosovo on the topic of balancing the right to privacy and access to public documents.

The discussions focused on the challenges concerning personal data contained in the municipal documents, which risk being disclosed in the process of provision of access to official data. Participants presented concrete cases arising from such situations such as publication of the municipal medical subventions lists and access to the data collected through public spaces surveillance cameras. The panel, composed of IPA experts, addressed the questions, providing municipal officials with answers on how to handle the balance of the rights to privacy and access to public information. 

The IPA Head, Commissioner Krenare Sogojeva-Dermaku, said, “There is a thin line between the right to privacy and access to public documents, which is not always easily detectable. Therefore, balancing these two rights is of vital importance in establishing clear and accurate standards, based on best practices of the enforcement of these rights.”

Commissioner Sogojeva-Dermaku invited the participants to promote pro-active publication of official information on their websites and assignment of municipal officials on protection of personal data, which are still missing in a number of municipalities.

To enhance understanding of this sensitive task, Ali Topalli, municipal official responsible for access to official data, Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje municipality, suggested that IPA explains the balancing of the right to privacy and the access to public documents also to the other side in this process, the requester of information: the general public, CSOs and media. “This will help them understand the whole process and refrain from filing complaints in the situations when the access to official information was denied in order to protect the personal data of an individual,” he said.

Using the input collected from these workshops, the OSCE Mission, in co-operation with the IPA, will draft the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on balancing the privacy and access to public documents, which will serve the municipal officials as a guiding tool in the situations arising from the conflicting relation between the right to privacy and data-access.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated to protect and promote human and community rights, as well as democratization and public safety sector development. It supports the IPA in promoting the right to privacy and access to public documents and enhancing professional capacities of public officials, guaranteeing this way greater transparency towards the public and ensuring at the same time that their privacy rights are not violated in this process.

541788

From 17 to 20 April 2023, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan (PCUz) organized a study visit to Estonia and Finland for a delegation of the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ACA). The five-member Delegation was headed by the Director of the Agency, Mr. Akmal E. Burkhanov.

Since the establishment of the ACA in 2020, the PCUz has been playing an active role in strengthening anti-corruption capacities of national stakeholders. In March 2022, the PCUz and the ACA signed a Joint Action Plan, which emphasized the need to learn from the OSCE region best practices in preventive measures, such as promoting openness and transparency.

Due to Estonia’s rapid transition to good governance as well as being regarded as a benchmark in administrative simplification, transparency and e-government, and Finland’s excellent performance on anti-corruption determinants, especially judicial independence, both countries serve as concrete and successful examples to be emulated.

The study visit was therefore an opportunity for the ACA staff to learn about both best practices in monitoring the implementation of international standards of openness, and the expertise of Estonia and Finland in developing and implementing national anti-corruption strategies.

In Estonia, the ACA Delegation met with representatives of the Department of Public Procurement and State Aid of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the e-Governance Academy.

In Finland, the Delegation held meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority and the Office of the Chancellor of Justice of the Government of Finland. The Delegation also exchanged views with members of the Rule of Law Centre of the University of Helsinki.

The PCUz will continue to support Uzbekistan's efforts to promote the openness and transparency of governmental agencies, raise public awareness and build national capacity to address the risks that corruption poses to security, stability, democracy and effective governance, as well as to socio-economic development – as recognized in the 2020 Ministerial Council Decision on Preventing and Combating Corruption through Digitalization and Increased Transparency.

VIENNA, 24 April 2023 – While all countries of the OSCE have expressed their determination “to resolve by peaceful means any related issue, individually and collectively, on the basis of mutual respect and co-operation”, violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL) are a reality in the region today, OSCE leaders said as a two-day conference began today.  

Over 250 people from across the OSCE region registered for the meeting in Vienna, which will centre on the responsibility of states to uphold international law, and focus more specifically on issues related to torture and other grave breaches of international humanitarian law and gross violations of international human rights law. The event brings together representatives of OSCE states, international organizations, civil society, and the media.

“The reminder of the importance of international human rights law at this Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting is vital,” said Ambassador Igor Djundev, Chairman of the OSCE Permanent Council and Permanent Representative of North Macedonia to the OSCE. “It provides a chance for OSCE states and other participants to gain an insight and reflect about the current situation in the OSCE region. If we don’t treat these issues with due attention, we will allow for the serious and brutal developments in the treatment of civilians in times of war to continue.”

Participants will look at the specific obligations for states in connection with grave breaches of IHL and discuss the link between grave breaches of international humanitarian law and war crimes. Discussions will also examine the importance of investigating and documenting allegations of torture, including sexual and gender-based violence, to ensure accountability as well as redress for victims. A final area of focus is on measures states can take to prevent gross violations of IHRL including in times of crisis, political instability and national emergencies and what forms of redress are available.

Victims of gross violations of international human rights law and grave breaches of international humanitarian law have the right to redress, which includes both compensation and effective remedy. States also have an obligation to take measures to ensure that victims of torture have access to effective complaints mechanisms as well as other remedies. While it is the chief responsibility of states to ensure this, many others have a key role to play in both prevention and response, including international organizations, National Human Rights Institutions, and civil society.

“Torture and other gross violations of human rights are a scourge that must end,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “The international community needs to do more to prevent them from occurring, but at the same time put effective measures in place and ensure they are implemented whenever and wherever such violations do take place.”

The countries of the OSCE have committed to “respect and ensure respect for general international humanitarian law” and stated that “those who violate international humanitarian law are held personally accountable.” They also “strongly condemn all forms of torture as one of the most flagrant violations of human rights and human dignity.”

Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings are a platform for the OSCE’s participating States and OSCE institutions, as well as international organizations and civil society, to exchange views and good practices in order to find common solutions for the challenges facing societies across the OSCE region. Today’s discussion is the second SHDM of 2023, with one more planned for this year.

541749 Marina Živaljević

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro provided the MINA News Agency with technical equipment on 24 April to support its further development as the only Montenegrin news agency.

Jaša Jovićević, the executive director of the MINA agency, said that the Mission’s support through the provision of equipment will significantly improve and facilitate the work of journalists, in line with the transformation of that media into a multimedia agency.

“MINA continues to develop its services, especially the video service that we launched a few years ago and which is constantly growing. This is confirmed by the number of our stories used by other media on a daily basis,” said Jovićević.

In this sense, as he stated, the equipment, which included cameras and the studio lighting system, is particularly important.

Evan Eberle, the Mission’s Media Programme Manager, said, Mina is a source of fact-checked and verified information for both the media and the Montenegrin public. “Mina embarked on a journey to be a more sustainable news service and expand its audience reach by offering new content and different formats. We welcome the cooperation with Mina and look forward to a technically improved video service reaching all segments of society,” said Eberle.

Jovićević thanked the OSCE Mission, which recognized the importance of the work of the MINA agency and its contribution to timely and objective information of the public about events in the country and abroad.

MINA News Agency is the only national news agency in Montenegro, founded in 2001 in Podgorica.

541665

The OSCE organized an intensive in-person and online training course from 17 to 21 April 2023 on renewable energy for around 100 young women from Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Mongolia, to help them kick-start careers in the sustainable energy sector.

The training course, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, was a collaboration between the OSCE and the Kazakh-German University (DKU).

“Providing women with access to adequate training and career opportunities in sustainable energy will increase the quantity and quality of the workforce needed for a successful energy transition, and the long-term energy security of Central Asia,” said Giulia Manconi, an OSCE Senior Energy Security Programme Officer, who was a lead organizer of the training course.

The course featured a series of lectures and site visits where participants gained advanced knowledge on the development of solar and wind energy in Central Asia, alternative fuels, energy storage systems, and efficient technologies for heating and cooling. The participants also learned about the economic aspects of renewable energy deployment, as well as its gender dimension.

“I am a technologist and we work on the topic of biogas. I'm making my first steps in this field now, but I hope that in my professional life, I will become more involved in this topic and connect my work or research to it,” said Altynay Yelgundinova, a participant from Kazakhstan.

The participants also had an opportunity to network with industry experts and potential employers through the course. “Currently, there is active planning and construction of small hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan. In the future, I would also like to be involved in their construction. At the training, I learned directly from experts who provided concrete examples of hydropower construction and their potential,” said Asylbu Kudaibergenova, a participant from Kyrgyzstan.

The course also included an onsite visit to Qapshagai solar power plant 2MW — a renewable energy facility in Kazakhstan. "When one steps into such facilities, one is first and foremost an expert in the field, and gender comes second. The added value is that we learn in practice the technology behind the installation and operation of such sites,” said Durdona Jimboeva, a participant from Tajikistan.

The training course is part of the OSCE’s initiative on Empowering Young Central Asian Women in the Energy Transition. The initiative is one of the activities being carried out within the OSCE Project on Promoting women’s economic participation in the energy sector for energy security and sustainability in Central Asia, which is co-funded by Austria, Germany, Italy, Norway, and Poland.

541641 Communication and Media Relations Section Alexandra Taylor

Preventing non-profit organizations (NPO) from being abused for terrorism financing was the focus of a seminar organized in Astana from 18 to 20 April 2023 by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Programme Office in Astana.

The seminar brought together 30 participants from government and civil society in Kazakhstan, to discuss the current situation and challenges connected with this topic.

They were provided with an overview of international standards based on United Nations Security Council resolutions, as well as Recommendation 8 on the non-profit sector from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international body dedicated to countering money laundering and terrorism financing.

Participants also discussed conducting a review of the non-profit sector as part of national risk assessments and the importance of a co-operative approach between government and civil society.

“International commitments encourage States to work co-operatively with the non-profit sector to prevent the abuse of non-profit organizations by and for terrorists, while also reminding States that they must respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. In the OSCE, we have a strong mandate to engage on this topic, and our co-operation is based on long-term engagement with the Kazakh government and civil society,” said Yuri Fenopetov, Deputy Head of Mission of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in his remarks to the seminar.

Facilitators from the Human Security Collective, a member of FATF’s Global NPO Coalition, and from the Greenacre Group, a consultancy specializing on the topic of the event, highlighted good practices in mitigating the unintended consequences of FATF Recommendation 8. These include burdensome registration, licensing and reporting requirements for the non-profit sector, issues of financial access and restrictions on receiving foreign funding.

The event marked the piloting of a dedicated OSCE training course on the NPO sector, further widening the scope of specialized capacity-building support in the field of countering terrorism financing.

Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

Elections experts from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) presented the final report of ODIHR’s Election Assessment Mission to the 2022 parliamentary elections in Slovenia during a visit to Ljubliana on 18 and 19 April 2023.

The experts discussed the report’s findings and recommendations with government officials, members of parliamentary committees and representatives of the media and civil society. Discussions focused on the introduction of safeguards to protect public media from political pressure, measures to prevent intolerant and derogatory language against women politicians and journalists, revision of criminal provisions for defamation and the need to enhance transparency and integrity of campaign finance, including for third parties.

“We are encouraged by the consideration of ODIHR's recommendations thus far, and look forward to inclusive discussions on further refining and enhancing Slovenia’s electoral process. ODIHR remains committed to actively supporting such efforts,” said Ambassador Eberhard Pohl, Head of the ODIHR Election Assessment Mission (EAM) for the 24 April parliamentary elections.

ODIHR discussed with authorities potential assistance in bringing Slovenia’s elections closer in line with international standards and commitments by implementing these recommendations.

The ODIHR EAM has assessed the follow-up to prior recommendations as follows:

• Fully implemented: recommendations 1 and 4 from the ODIHR final report on the 2017 presidential election and recommendation 11 from the ODIHR final report on the 2018 parliamentary elections;
• Mostly implemented: recommendation 5 from the 2017 Final Report and recommendation 4 from the 2018 Final Report;
• Partially implemented: recommendation 3 from the 2017 Final Report and recommendations 2, 5, 8 and 14 from the 2018 Final Report.

Other recommendations are yet to be implemented.

The ODIHR assistance offered includes expert discussions, thematic workshops and legal reviews related to potential changes to the electoral legislation.

In the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Document, all OSCE participating States committed themselves to “follow up promptly the ODIHR’s election assessment and recommendations”.

VIENNA, 19 April 2023 – Anti-trafficking leaders at the 23rd Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons urged the 57 participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to strengthen their response to prevent and eradicate human trafficking, by generating the necessary political will to tackle the issue.

“Political will is the single most important ingredient for our success,” said the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey.

The adoption of the Palermo Protocol and the OSCE Action Plan on Combating Trafficking some 20 years ago marked a high point in international political will. However, while most countries passed laws that criminalized trafficking and kick-started national anti-trafficking efforts, recent data shows that implementation is increasingly insufficient. “The scale of the crime has expanded, the nature of the crime has evolved, and our ability and effort to adjust and respond accordingly is lagging behind,” the Special Representative emphasized.  

Emphasizing the need for more decisive national leadership to combat trafficking, the OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid noted in her welcoming remarks that the “elevated risk for exploitation in the OSCE region today means that 'being concerned' about trafficking in human beings is not enough, there is a pressing need and obligation to take action - an obligation that rests with participating States,” she said. “It is in your streets, in your shops, and on your servers that the fight against trafficking must be waged,” she concluded.

The need for action was also reiterated by the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, who stressed that “trafficking in human beings is a matter of human security. In all our anti-trafficking efforts, let us always keep the people in mind. We must hear their voices and concerns, their hopes and fears. We must put a human face on all our documents, words and deeds.”

The Conference closed with a strong call to action by the outgoing Special Representative, built around a Decalogue of State Anti-trafficking Action - ten points emerging from the Conference that are essential to move participating States from combating trafficking to one day ending it.

With over 850 registered participants from the OSCE region and beyond, this year’s Alliance Conference was the largest on record, a testament to the continued growth of the OSCE's anti-trafficking profile and leadership.

541554 Marina Živaljević

Building a career in the police means building yourself, a team and a community that works for the safety of Montenegro and its citizens. In order for as many young people as possible, especially girls, to see themselves in this role, the Ministry of Interior’s Police Directorate and the Police Academy, with the support of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, are launching the "I choose the police" campaign.

This initiative will contribute to the further development of the police into a professional, responsible, diverse and efficient service that the Montenegrin public trusts.

"The Montenegrin police needs professional, educated and competent staff who can adequately prepare for police work by attending the Police Academy." We are launching the campaign ‘I choose the police’ because we want to strengthen our team with young people who want to, through dynamic work, contribute to the continuous development of the police organization and the improvement of the security of the state and citizens," said acting Director of the Police Directorate, Nikola Terzić.

On the way to a career as a police officer, the first step is the Police Academy, which for many years has been providing quality education, according to modern standards, with professional teaching staff.

"The mission of the Police Academy is the improvement of the security education system and the modern organization of education and thus the creation of young forces that, choosing the police profession, will establish a tradition of tolerance, expertise, responsibility, critical perception of reality, creativity, moral behaviour, optimism, empathy, authenticity and humanity,” said the director of the Police Academy, Vladimir Stanišić.

Dominique Waag, Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, stated that young people are the driving force in any profession, and that they can bring positive change to the workplace when they are truly reflecting the society and its diversity.

“By engaging young people and showing them the positive aspects of police work, we can recruit a new generation of police officers that will bring fresh perspectives, new values and enthusiasm in the police, which will further help create safer communities and better protect the country from crime,” said Ambassador Waag.

In the next month, everyone interested in a police career will be able to learn about the advantages of working in the police community, ways to become a police officer and what kind of career development those who become part of the police can expect. Information will be available through the media, social networks, and lectures will be organized in high schools throughout Montenegro, so that young people can get answers to everything they are interested in through direct communication with police representatives.

This year’s campaign builds on the achievements of the previous campaigns that targeted women and contributed to a significant increase the number of qualified female applicants accepted into the Police Academy.

All information will be available on the websites:

Police Directorate - Policija - Ministarstvo unutrašnjih poslova (www.gov.me)

Police Academy - Policijska akademija

Facebook page - Biram policiju | Facebook.

541467 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Farhod Nabiyulloev

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in joint efforts with Tajikistan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) conducted a series of one-day meetings with heads of MIA departments and members of Public Councils on Police Reform (PC) to discuss the implementation progress of police reform and community policing. The event took place from 28 March to 12 April 2023 across the Khatlon region of Tajikistan.  

The meetings aimed to discuss approaches being undertaken in the framework of police reform, especially deepening community and police co-operation. The meetings helped to exchange views and increase knowledge of police and members of PCs on community policing. Effective approaches to improving police-community relations, and countering radicalization and extremism among youth were also discussed.  

Some 2,100 participants, including heads of MIA departments, members of regional and district PCs, and representatives of civil society, of which 377 were female participants, took part in the meetings.

“The police reform aims at strengthening police interaction with local communities, increasing the effectiveness of police work in the regions, accessibility of law enforcement’s assistance for the population, preventing crime, and building trust between the public and the police,” said Colonel Hamdamzoda Valikhon Hamdam, the National Coordinator for Police Reform. “The OSCE significantly contributes its best efforts to support the Interior Ministry in the implementation of the Police Reform Strategy,” added Hamdamzoda.  

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe will continue supporting the Ministry of Internal Affairs in implementing the Police Reform Strategy and promoting the concept of community policing in Tajikistan.  

SKOPJE, 14 April 2023 — The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Bujar Osmani, concluded his visit to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The visit focused on existing security challenges and efforts towards sustainable peace, as well as strengthening co-operation between the OSCE and the three states in the South Caucasus region.

In Georgia, the OSCE Chairman met with President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Chairman of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili and other parliamentarians, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ilia Darchiashvili and State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Tea Akhvlediani.

During his talks in Tbilisi, Minister Osmani underlined that the OSCE will continue to support Georgia implement its commitments across the politico-military, environmental and economic, and human dimensions of security, which will contribute to internal reform processes in the country.

He also reiterated the OSCE’s continued efforts through the Geneva International Discussions and meetings of the related Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in Ergneti.

“These channels and diplomatic processes must remain open, not only to avoid further escalation, but also to deal with the consequences of the 2008 war,” Chairman Osmani said.

“We support all pragmatic approaches to providing real results for the people affected by conflict. It is, after all, about people, and they count on us to deliver real results that allow them to live their lives in a state of peace and prosperity,” he added.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office also held a visit, organised with the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, to the administrative boundary line in Odzisi, and met with internally displaced persons in Tserovani. He also met with representatives of civil society.

During his visit to Azerbaijan, the OSCE Chairman met with President Ilham Aliyev, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Speaker of the National Assembly Sahiba Gafarova. Discussions focused on the OSCE’s engagement towards lasting and sustainable peace, and finding solutions to outstanding issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

“The peaceful, comprehensive and sustainable settlement of the disagreements that afflict and concern Azerbaijanis and Armenians remains paramount. We stand behind any effort that provides positive dynamics in support of the full implementation of previously agreed measures, and the identification of new areas for agreement,” Osmani said. “I also encourage continued engagement between Armenia and Azerbaijan towards peace, and addressing crucial issues such as demarcation and delimitation and the opening of communication lines,” he stressed.

In Armenia, Minister Osmani met with President Vahagn Khachaturyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and parliamentarians.

“I support any effort that leads to peace and all initiatives that facilitate dialogue, defuse tensions, boost trust and confidence, leading to normalisation of relations. We stand ready to continue our efforts through the OSCE’s existing mechanisms and structures, and new ideas and approaches to achieve these goals,” Minister Osmani said.

During his meeting with civil society and other stakeholders, Chairman Osmani highlighted the potential for increased project co-operation with the OSCE across all aspects of security.

541383 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe Farhod Nabiyulloev

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe in close collaboration with Tajikistan’s Border Troops organized and carried out seven awareness-raising meetings in seven border communities of the Darvoz district in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region from 3 to 8 April 2023.

The meetings aimed to raise the awareness of the local population on the important work of border security services and co-operation with local communities in protecting the Tajik-Afghan border in light of the current tendencies of risks stemming from Afghanistan. The event also aimed to inform the local population about the importance of timely informing the national law enforcement authorities involved in border security management of unusual and suspicious incidents.

More than 930 citizens –parents, students, teachers, local community leaders, and local administration officials, almost half of them women, took part in the event. The Office distributed 300 printed calendars with hotline numbers among the population which would enable citizens to report any border-related violations in their communities.

“Engagement with communities living in remote border zones with Afghanistan can help to generate information that can build comprehensive situational awareness and help officials distinguish between “usual” movements and those that are out of the ordinary or suspicious,” said General Rajabali Mahmadaliev, OSCE National Expert. “This engagement can help connect remote border areas with government agencies at the central level. Border communities need to be informed on the role of civil society in state border protection to build security, stability, and safety in the local context.” 

Colonel Khabibullo Safarov, another OSCE National Expert said: “Border and law enforcement agencies that connect with communities by building an understanding of shared border threats and the local impacts of those threats can help build resilience in those communities against transnational threats. Thus, the concept of border community policing that was popular and widely used during the Soviet Union should be taken as a crucial tool, where border authorities can raise awareness within border communities on the threats posed by cross-border organized crime and terrorism.” 

The event was part of the support the OSCE Programme Office offers to the Tajik Border Troops with respect to border management and security and was also aimed at strengthening trust and increasing partnerships between local communities and border security services through regular meetings to introduce the border community policing concept. 

541353 Public Affairs Unit, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Katya Andrusz

Denmark’s November 2022 early general election campaign was competitive and pluralistic with contestants able to convey their messages to the electorate in diverse ways. Freedoms of expression, assembly and association were respected. Despite limited regulation of political financing, election dispute resolution and media coverage of elections, the legal framework is conducive to holding democratic elections.

These are some of the main conclusions of the final report published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers 14 recommendations to bring elections in Denmark closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.

Key recommendations include:

• Providing effective and timely remedies to electoral complaints during the entire process, including those related to candidate registration and the election campaign;

• Considering the possibility of voters supporting more than one political party or independent candidate to stand in elections;

• Encouraging parties to develop election materials and messages in formats accessible to persons with disabilities and provide them meaningful opportunities to stand as candidates;

• Considering strictly regulating anonymous donations and requiring disclosure of contributions above a nominal amount;

• Introducing limits for the donations and expenditures of political parties and electoral contestants;

• Regulating third-party campaigning, including by entities affiliated with political parties;

• Explicitly guaranteeing the access of citizen and international observers to all stages of the electoral process.

ODIHR deployed an Election Expert Team (EET) on 26 October 2022 to observe the 1 November early general elections. The EET focused on the party and candidate registration, the campaign environment and the party and campaign finance. All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to following up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.